Oasis Heating, A/C & Refrigeration Blog : Archive for July, 2014

Here in Arlington, you can’t go without an air conditioning system for very long. But if your home or new room addition does not have any ducts installed, you may rely on window air conditioners or room air conditioners to provide cool air. However, these systems are noisy, inefficient, and can be obtrusive as placement options are limited.

The solution to this problem? Ductless cooling! Ductless air conditioning systems are growing in popularity since ductwork installation in certain homes can be difficult, and because these systems are far more efficient and have more features than window air conditioners and even many central AC systems. We’ve detailed three benefits of ductless cooling systems below.

100% Ductless

Ductless air conditioners use no ducts at all to cool your home. Instead, multiple indoor air handlers are installed in various areas of your home. This is advantageous for a couple of reasons. First, ductwork installation can be a huge hassle if you have an older home or if you are adding a room. Second, a lot of energy is lost in the ducts of a central air conditioning system. Ducts are prone to leaks that homeowners often cannot detect on their own, so they spend more money every month than is necessary cooling unused areas of the home.

Energy Efficiency

Ductless air conditioners are typically very efficient. The SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio), printed on the EnergyGuide label of any AC system, can help you to determine how much money you’ll save every month, and ductless systems typically have very high SEERs. Furthermore, the lack of ductwork and addition of zone control can also help you save money on your energy bills.

Zone Control

Multiple indoor air handlers allow for zone control, which means you can control the temperature in different areas of your home independently of the other rooms. Your family members often have different temperature preferences, so zone control can help ensure everyone’s needs are met. It can also save you money; for example, if nobody occupies the upstairs rooms in the afternoon, you can switch off the AC upstairs to save energy.

When you decide to install a ductless cooling system in Arlington, call the team at OASIS Heating, A/C & Refrigeration, Inc. to talk to a professional today!

Summer can be full of great sounds: birds chirping, kids running around and water spraying from hoses and sprinklers. Unfortunately, there can also be not-so-great sounds, like a clunk, hiss, or bump from your air conditioner. Many times, your air conditioner can still appear to run ok even though noises may occur. But as we’ve seen many times at Oasis Heating, A/C & Refrigeration, Inc., those noises can indicate a developing problem, and they usually don’t go away on their own. So, when it comes to noises and your air conditioning repair in Alexandria, always call your trusted Oasis Heating, A/C & Refrigeration, Inc. technician.

What Noises Can Mean

Your air conditioner will make a number of noises; some will be operational, others can indicate a problem. Here are some of the more common sounds that may indicate a potential problem with your system:

Hissing – a hissing sound usually indicates that air is escaping from somewhere in your system; the trick is finding out where. Refrigerant leaks can create a hissing sound, which may also be accompanied by a bubbling sound if the refrigerant is bubbling out from the leak. Leaking valves, can also create a hissing sound. Your air conditioner is a closed system, so a sign of leaks anywhere is something that will require inspection and possible repair.

Banging/clunking – when pieces of components come loose in your system, such as fan blades or a loose motor mount, they can bang and clunk around your air conditioner while it operates. Loose or broken components should be repaired as soon as possible to help prevent damage to other parts of your air conditioner.

Screaming – a screaming or screeching noise can indicate a serious problem with your compressor. Your compressor operates under a great deal of pressure; a screaming sound can mean that the pressure inside the compressor has gotten too high. A compressor with too much pressure is a dangerous one. If you hear a screaming sounds coming from your air conditioner, turn the system off immediately and contact your air conditioning specialist.

Don’t Ignore That Sound

Preemptive repair to your air conditioner may seem like an inconvenience, but it will be a much bigger inconvenience if that sound becomes a serious problem.

Commercial refrigerators are an important part of many businesses, not just food service. If your company relies on refrigeration­—such as walk-in coolers, walk-in freezers, or commercial ice machines—you need to have a professional service available to repair these appliances should something go wrong with them.

We’ve been family-owned and operated since we started in business in 1998, and we strive to bring the personal touch of residential services to all of our commercial services. Our technicians are NATE-certified to bring you top quality repair work.

Why commercial refrigeration repair is necessary

The needs of a family with a refrigerator are much different than the needs of a business that uses a walk-in freezer or walk-in cooler. Only a small change in the temperature inside the refrigerator can lead to food spoiling or suffering freezer burn, which can mean significant money lost for a business. Although commercial refrigeration systems are built to be sturdy and dependable, they are complicated systems that can suffer a number of different breakdowns and repair needs, none of which can be solved through “do-it-yourself” tactics or amateur technicians.

In fact, amateur work is often worse than no repairs at all. Unskilled repair jobs can lead to a broken compressor or broken sealing that will require even more extensive repairs to fix. Professional repairs are vital to make sure that not only is the problem fixed, but it stays fixed and will not trigger additional issues. In addition, if you are in the food service industry, you need to make sure that your equipment stays up to health codes, and amateur repairs cannot guarantee this.

Remember: time is not on your side when it comes to malfunctioning commercial refrigeration. These problems must be fixed as soon as possible before the loss of cooling starts to cause food to spoil. You can’t afford anything but work from trained and qualified technicians who can get the job done fast and right the first time.

Call OASIS Heating, A/C & Refrigeration, Inc.

We take pride at OASIS in only hiring refrigeration technicians who are experienced and certified. Running our business for over 15 years has taught us the importance of professionalism, and we know that this means a great deal to you as a business owner as well: you can count on our fast response and dedication when you need commercial refrigeration repair in Arlington, VA. Call us any time of the day or night.